Stanley Grill

Birth Place: NYC

Education: Manhattan School of Music (Bachelors/Masters in Music Theory)

One World Symphony Composer

1. Are any of your family members musicians? If so, what do they do?
No. My music gene came from afar.

2. What has been the highlight of your One World Symphony career to date?
I've enjoyed all of my engagements with OWS -- but working on assignment, so to speak, has been especially rewarding. My favorites have been doing the Ophelia Songs for the all-Shakepeare program and Pluto for the U2/Planets program.

3. What would you say is your favorite piece of music?
That is a hard question -- but maybe Thomas Tallis' Spem in Alium tops my list.

4. What's the best thing about One World Symphony?
The spirit of the entirety of OWS, everyone all together, believing in the music.

...And the worst moment (if any)?
No worsts.

5. What music do you listen to in the car or subway?
Mostly early music -- but lots of other things -- always searching for new, interesting sounds -- that are from the heart!

6. What is your favorite drink?
Any single malt scotch -- neat.

7. What was the most recent book you read?
W.C. Williams' poem "Paterson" -- finally got around to it.

8. When you do have some free time, how do you relax?
Hiking on the Palisades -- whether up top or on the bottom -- what a view!

9. If you had the opportunity to time travel, when and where would you prefer to live?
On a spaceship, exploring, about 1,000 years from now (optimistically assuming that we haven't destroyed everything by then).

10. If you weren't a musician what would you be?
The same person I am now -- music or not.

11. Why would you recommend to other musicians and public to participate with One World Symphony?
The best musicians in the world perform in NYC -- but it's rare to find a performance that matches the "heart" you can readily hear in any OWS performance. That's a special, special thing -- and what music, art, life -- are all about.

12. What are your hobbies?
Writing music -- not much time for anything else. Those day jobs pay the bills -- but they do get in the way of hobbies!